TAMPA, Fla.- A 29-year-old man, Arvin Solimanpoor, is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly setting fire to a multi-business building in Tampa and assaulting a police officer. The incident occurred early Wednesday morning at 5215 N. Lois Ave.
According to the Tampa Police Department, Solimanpoor entered the unoccupied building just before 5:00 a.m. on March 12, 2025, and intentionally set it ablaze. A witness reported that Solimanpoor also fired a handgun multiple times inside the building.
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Tampa Police officers arrived quickly and apprehended Solimanpoor as he was dragging brush into the burning structure. Officers discovered a handgun on him and took him into custody for questioning.
While Tampa Fire Rescue battled the fire, a firefighter was injured and transported to a local hospital. Fortunately, the injuries were minor, and the firefighter has since been released.
During his detention at the Tampa Police District One office, Solimanpoor allegedly damaged a camera in the holding area. He then urinated into an empty water bottle, which an officer had provided to him due to his complaints of thirst, and threw the contents onto a uniformed police officer.
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Solimanpoor has been charged with:
- Arson with Injury
- Shooting at, within, or into a Building
- Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Felony
- Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer
- Felony Criminal Mischief
He was transported to Orient Road Jail.
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